History

Wall fragment with fresco of a Gallo Roman man, from Évreux, 250-275 AD

In late Antiquity, the town, attested in the fourth century CE, was named Mediolanum Aulercorum, "the central town of the Aulerci", the Gallic tribe then inhabiting the area. Mediolanum was a small regional centre of the Roman province of Gallia Lugdunensis. Julius Caesar wintered eight legions in this area after his third campaigning season in the battle for Gaul (56-55 BC): Legiones VII, VIII, IX, X, XI, XII, XIII and XIV.

The present-day name of Évreux originates from the Gallic tribe of Eburovices, literally Those who overcome by the yew?, from the Gaulish root eburos.

In 1427 the county of Évreux was bestowed by King Charles VII on Sir John Stuart of Darnley (c. 1365–1429), the commander of his Scottish bodyguard, who in 1423 had received the seigniory of Aubigny, and in February 1427/8 he was granted the right to quarter the royal arms of France for his victories over the English.

The church of the former abbey of St-Taurin is in part Romanesque. It has a choir of the 14th century and other portions of later date, and contains the thirteenth-century shrine of Saint Taurin.

The episcopal palace, a building of the fifteenth century, adjoins the south side of the cathedral.

The belfry facing the hôtel de ville also dates from the fifteenth century.

Centre of Jewish learning

In the Middle Ages, Évreux was one of the centres of Jewish learning,[3] and its scholars are quoted in the medieval notes to the Talmud called the Tosafot.[4]

The following rabbis are known to have lived at Évreux: Samuel ben Shneor,[5] praised by his student Isaac of Corbeil as the "Prince of Évreux", one of the most celebrated tosafists; Moses of Évreux, brother of Samuel, author of the Tosafot of Évreux; Isaac of Évreux; Judah ben Shneor, or Judah the Elder, author of liturgical poems; Meïr ben Shneor; Samuel ben Judah; Nathan ben Jacob, father of Jacob ben Nathan, who in 1357 copied the five Megillot with the Targum for Moses ben Samuel.[3]

Population

Historical population

Year

Pop.

±%

1793

8,000

—

1800

8,426

+5.3%

1806

9,511

+12.9%

1821

9,728

+2.3%

1831

9,963

+2.4%

1836

10,287

+3.3%

1841

11,706

+13.8%

1846

11,802

+0.8%

1851

12,877

+9.1%

1856

12,227

−5.0%

1861

12,265

+0.3%

1866

12,320

+0.4%

1872

13,350

+8.4%

1876

14,627

+9.6%

1881

15,847

+8.3%

1886

16,755

+5.7%

1891

16,932

+1.1%

1896

17,766

+4.9%

1901

18,292

+3.0%

1906

18,971

+3.7%

1911

18,957

−0.1%

1921

18,234

−3.8%

1926

18,841

+3.3%

1931

19,315

+2.5%

1936

20,116

+4.1%

1946

20,436

+1.6%

1954

23,647

+15.7%

1962

36,695

+55.2%

1968

42,550

+16.0%

1975

47,412

+11.4%

1982

46,045

−2.9%

1990

49,103

+6.6%

1999

51,159

+4.2%

2008

50,777

−0.7%

Its inhabitants are called Ébroïciens.

Sights

Évreux is situated in the pleasant valley of the Iton, arms of which traverse the town; on the south, the ground slopes up toward the public gardens and the railway station. It is the seat of a bishop, and its cathedral is one of the largest and finest in France.

The first cathedral was built in 1076, but destroyed in 1119 when the town was burned at the orders of Henry I of France to put down the Norman insurrection. He rebuilt the cathedral as an act of atonement to the Pope. Between 1194 and 1198, the conflict between Philippe Auguste and Richard the Lion-hearted damaged the new cathedral. The architecture of the present edifice shows this history, with its blend of Romanesque and Gothic styles. As did many towns in the regions of Nord and Normandy, Évreux and its cathedral suffered greatly from Second World War.

At Le Vieil-Évreux (lit. the old Évreux), the Roman Gisacum, 5.6 kilometres (31⁄2 mi) southeast of the town, the remains of a Roman theatre, a palace, baths and an aqueduct have been discovered, as well as various relics, notably the bronze of Jupiter Stator, which are now deposited in the museum of Évreux.

Mayors

Évreux has historically maintained socialist politics, with Roland Plaisance of the French Communist Party serving as mayor for over two decands (1977–2001). Plaisance was followed by Jean-Louis Debré, in some part due to the latter's friendship with Jacques Chirac. In 2014, Guy Lefrand (UMP, centre-right) a former member of the National Assembly of France, was elected mayor, with a mandate lasting six years.

Transport

The train station Gare d'Évreux-Normandie is on the railway line from Gare Saint-Lazare to Cherbourg, it is served by regular Intercity and regional rail services to both Paris and Normandy.
There used to be two stations in Évreux, only one of which remains open to this day. The second station (Évreux-Nord) served the line from Évreux to Rouen.